Fugitives Under the Sun
by prettydynamic
Summary: Steve and Kono find themselves working together to find proof of Steve's innocence in the murder rap while they evade Delano who's hot on their trail. The two try to fight off their growing attraction for each other.
1. Chapter 1

She had been seating on the seashore for sometime, watching two little blond girls building sandcastles with an older boy who appeared to be their brother. On her right was a shave ice stand flocked by what seemed to be a hundred kids determined to abate the heat by a cup of sweet-flavored ice. She sighed and turned her attention back to the teen-agers in trunks and bikinis bravely embracing the gigantic waves with their surf boards. Surfing used to be therapeutic whenever she was feeling troubled or melancholic, but now the splash of dancing waves on the shore and the cool breeze of the summer winds held no enticement for her as she wallow in depression about her suspension, the disbandment of the FIVE-O, the incarceration of her beloved boss Steve McGarrett, wrongly accused of murdering the governor. It's a lot to absorb in a sudden, unexpected turn or events.

Kono stood up and picked up her pink surfboard that lay abandoned by her feet and decided to head home. Let her go home and just cry in bed once again. But as she was getting into her car, she was surprised by a tap on the back by a bulky middle-aged officer whom she recognized as Captain Fryer. She knew it was not good news, she had heard her cousin Chin Ho talk about Captain Fryer's less than impeccable character.

"Good afternoon, Captain Fryer, what can I do for you?" asked Kono respectfully but without a smile.

"Hello, Officer Kalakaua. Why don't we go somewhere private where we can talk," said Capt. Fryer.

Kono openly glanced around. There wasn't a soul within a close ranger where she was parked.

"This place looks private enough, Captain. " she replied.

She didn't want to go anywhere with him. Let him say what he had to say right here. She knew she wouldn't like it anyway.

"Alright. If that's what you want, I won't beat around the bush. I have a proposal for you. Something that would be beneficial to both of us," he said.

"Beneficial? In what way?" she asked with mild interest.

"You want your suspension lifted, don't you? And you want internal affairs to keep off the backs of the Five-O squad, don't you?" he asked with a sickening grin.

"Of course," she managed to utter. She didn't like where this was leading.

"I want you to go undercover for me. Be in the confidences of Frank Delano…"

"What? Join his seedy group…" she interrupted incredulously.

Fryer was impervious. "Yes. I want you to find something that would be tangible enough for me to put him away in prison for good."

Kono was furious. "He's a suspected murderer for crying out loud, he wouldn't take it lightly if he finds out I work for you. He hates your guts."

Fryer was relentless. "Look, Kono. I'm not going to ask again. You want your badge back, you want to help your boss, and help build Five-O back on it's feet. Do as I say or your Cousin Chin Ho takes the fall, not to mention adding more charges to McGarrett's to his already ominous murder charge."

Kono found herself backed against a brick wall with no alternative but to agree.

* * *

Steve McGarrett wiped his brow with his navy blue handkerchief with his left hand as he continued to finish his five hundred push-ups with his right. His afternoon exercise routine was interrupted when a hoarse voice from the warden called out.

"McGarrett! You have a visitor."

Steve stood and freshened his entire face and arms with the same handkerchief. Prison wasn't as sordid as some people thought it was but, being inside it filled one with trepidation, as though you would not get out of it's prison walls alive. He now understood why people wrongly accused become embittered and sometimes crazy. How ironic that he now found himself on the same boat with the crooks he had helped put away. He clutched the handkerchief tighter. Despite it's grimy appearance now after he used it, he could still smell her faint scent of vanilla and chamomile. Kono gave him a pair of navy blue handkerchief for his last birthday and he secretly cherished it like a valuable gem.

The handkerchief made him feel her presence, made her feel so close. She was the strength that kept him tough amidst the injustice. She was the hope that gave him the will to fight. He loved her but couldn't bring himself to admit it to anyone especially not to her. Hell, he only admitted it to himself not long ago. He didn't believe in office romance. To be involved with people you directly work with can compromise your objectivity and your focus. And he certainly didn't want to buckle down. His tenacity and discipline brought FIVE-O it's respected and efficient image, and he didn't want that compromised.

He turned his back from the glaring sun. He had already invested too much of himself, too much of his life in FIVE-O and damn if he would let some injustice and wrongful accusation break his team apart. The end justifies the means, and tomorrow he shall make his escape to make his own investigation in clearing his name and building back his FIVE-O team.

He reached the visitors area and found Chin Ho and Danny on the other side of the window. Danny smiled and handed him a colorful paper.

"It's from Gracie. She knew I was going to you and wanted you to have this," said Danny.

It was a watercolor drawing of the ocean and the sun with all of them playing by the sand, she, her dad, her Uncle Steve, her Uncle Chin, her Aunt Kono and her Uncle Kamikono who loved spoiling her with shave ice. When she asked her father how come she hadn't seen her Uncle Steve in while he told her he went away to somewhere cold with no beach.

Steve's face lighted up. "It's cute. I wish I could kiss her to say thanks."

"Don't worry, you'll soon be able to," said Danny.

"How is she anyway," asked Steve.

"She started taking ballet lessons. She's doing good," replied Danny.

Steve noticed Chin Ho's silence and forlorn expression.

"Hey, I'm the one inside. Why the long face?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not such a good company today. Just some things on my mind," he said noncommittally.

"C'mon, Chin. We're friends here. What's bothering you?" asked Steve

"I'm just thinking how I can ease Kono's problem without getting in trouble with HPD."

Kono's name struck a nerve. "Wha… What's wrong with Kono? I mean apart from her stupid suspension."

Chin Ho sighed, "That good for nothing Capt Fryer blackmailed. He's going to use her as a shark bait to bring Delano down…"

"What! His own people can do that if he needed to. Why Kono? He's feeding her to the sharks," he yelled furiously.

"And it's not even our fight," said Danny.

"He threatened her that unless she follows him, Five-O will be in deeper trouble with Internal Affairs." continued Chin Ho.

Steve was red with fury. "That bastard!"


	2. Chapter 2

Kono swung the rearview mirror of her car to one last look. She wasn't used to wearing make-up aside from her pressed powder and lip gloss but if she wanted this unpleasant task assigned to her by Capt. Fryer over and done with in a blink of an eye, she had to do it right. She smudged her black eyeliner on top of her lids and just by the lower lids. She smiled at what she saw, smoldering hot but not over the top.

She studied the documents Fryar gave her and believed that among the listed group members of Delano in his file, David Smith seemed the best choice to befriend and take her to Delano. He was divorced with one child, visits his grandmother and mother twice a year, and hangs out at firing ranges and golf courses. Not a cold-blooded murder. Since she was not a gifted golf player, she opted the firing range to catch his attention.

She found his bulky frame and curly blond hair at the far side of the range. He was a good shooter. She made her way to the empty slot close to him, an amateur teen-ager that seemed to be passing his time was between them. Smith was uncaring toward the teen-agers lousy shots and concentrated on his own target.

Kono fired several impressive successive shots. From her peripheral vision, she saw Smith glanced at her direction. She fired harder, this time in apparent rage and when she was done, she deliberately moved to where Smith could directly see her before removing her protective glasses and head gear. Her friends convinced her leather pants and backless corset-like top would be eye-catching as they emphasize her svelte form. She certainly hoped so or the lines she rehearsed would be useless.

Smith was slowly approaching. Kono smiled inwardly. Just as planned. She started firing again.

"Take that you bastard Fryer! Damn you!" she screamed as she fired.

Well, she didn't need to pretend she hated his guts for she does indeed for making her do his dirty work.

"Officer Kalakaua?" he asked as he extended his hand.

Kono nodded and accepted his handshake. "I'm David Smith. Former HPD Sergeant."

He laughed at Kono's outrage. "A lot of rage in there. Are you under his command? Sometimes higher ranking officers suck, just because you report to them they think they own you," he started in a friendly conversation.

"No. I'm not under him. He's the bastard reviewing my suspension and he's the arch enemy of my cousin. He made life hell for him, and not to mention asked me to sleep with him to have my suspension lifted. I almost threw the table on his face when he said that…"

"Did you accept?" asked Smith.

"Hell, no. Over my dead body."

This made Smith smile harder. "Did you report him to your superior?"

"No… my boss is in deep trouble himself…but I do want to get even with Fryar for giving me a 3 month suspension I don't deserve. I go to the firing range just to dispel my rage and my temper."

"What do you know, so do I. Why don't we have a couple of beers then I can introduce you to my friends who coincidentally hated Fryar too? They're having a little party at our boss place."

Kono was careful not to get herself drunk at the party. She wanted to be in her full faculties to defend herself should a riot arise in this gathering. And just as she thought, Smith's friends were far from his seeming easy-going disposition, though they didn't display anything untoward or hostile they were far from Smith's affability. She was keeping her eyes and ears open for anything she could use.

The men were getting a bit tipsy and started driving their conversation to male topics usually unintended for a female's ears. They must have forgotten she was there or they actually don't care that she was there. Kono excused herself and asked for directions to the bathroom. Maybe in fifteen minutes they were done with their gibberish.

The manor was huge but cold and empty. From what she had read on Delano's background, he wasn't always wealthy. He came from a lower middle class family and didn't start accumulating wealth until he was promoted to Lieutenant. Everyone became suspicious as he seemed to be earning more than the Major of his squad judging by his expensive car and increasing assets.

Kono found the guest bathroom down the hall but her attention was diverted to the open kitchen glass door. She found herself walking in. She admired the granite finish and the extensive area. The oven and the baking utensils were the expensive brand. She opened the larder and saw the wide-array of cooking and baking materials. She looked around in the kitchen in wonder. She always wanted to learn to bake and cook like her mother and grandmother but she only knew the basics. They would love this kitchen.

At the far side of the kitchen, she saw a spiral staircase that led up to the second floor. This lay out was usually found in the southern counties of mainland US where the old colonial houses have a separate maid's entrance and maid's quarter's. The staircase was used when the kitchen maids needed to go up the second floor to clean or bring the master's food without them passing through the main hall, and the living room.

Suddenly an angry male voice was reverberating from the second floor. Kono took three steps up the staircase to hear better. It was a lone voice yelling. A She caught a glimpse of tall, dark-haired man with a patrician nose pacing up and down the hall talking on a cellular phone.

"Don't you dare double cross me, Wo-fat. I'm telling you, I'll drag you down with me. If you think you can get rid off me the way you did with your others after the deal was done, you're mistaken. I'll be your worse nightmare."

As the man paced away from the staircase, Kono carefully climbed up until she was totally at the second floor hall. There were two rooms on either side of her but the doors were close. She started walking towards the lighted room just a few yards from the closed door when the man began walking towards her direction again. She ducked behind the artificial plant beside a huge divider with books and antique artifacts on the shelves.

"Give me a cut of the smuggled diamonds or else they would know you masterminded the murder of the governor," went on the man.

Kono gasped at the news. She tried not to make a noise as the man directly stood by the artificial plant.

"I want the diamonds and I want them now," he said, turning towards the opposite side of staircase.

Kono slowly creeped out of her hiding place going to the staircase to make her escape when she heard voices at the bottom of the stairs.

"I wonder where Kono went…" said Smith.

"Maybe she can't stand you and went home," said the other voice.

"But her car is still out there. Let's go up. I don't want her running into Delano before I get to introduce her. Let's try upstairs."

Her heart was pounding hard as she saw them going up. She glanced back at Delano who was still in a heated phone conversation. She saw no place to run except the lighted room. She made a dash for it, hoping there was a balcony to jump from.

"What are you guys doing up here? Didn't I tell you not to come up unless I called for you," reprimanded Delano who finished up his phone call.

Relief filled Kono as she saw the wide open balcony. In her haste to escape, Kono knocked over the vase on the table by the window.

"What the hell was that?" screamed Delano from the hall.

In her panic, Kono immediately hid herself inside the nearest accessible closet and tried to calm down. The last thing she needed was for them to hear her staccato breath. The three men were immediately inside the room in a flash and saw the broken vase. Kono held her breath as she watched them through the little spaces in between the closet door.

"Meow! Meow!" came a little clack and white short-haired tabby.

"What's that cat doing here? I don't have a cat," roared Delano.

"It's a neighborhood stray so I brought here. Your house-keeper didn't mind feeding it whenever she comes," explained Smith.

"Get that cat out of here, Smith, before I break it's neck," yelled Delano.

Smith and the other guy cleaned up the broken vase and took the cat with them when they left Delano inside the room. Kono had no idea how long she had been inside the closet. She was awakened by the voices of the men and a woman who came inside the room. She could feel her long legs complaining about their cramped position and felt a strong need to use the bathroom.

Delano stood up from his chair and smiled diabolically. He unwrapped the box handed to him by the new comers whom she could tell were the guys from downstairs and a woman who brought the package.

"Tell Wo-Fat it's good for him that he knew how to keep his part of the bargain," said Delano.

In Kono view from the closet she could see the glittering stones inside the box and Delano brought them all out one by one to examine them in a special light on his desk.

"Listen, this is the last time Wo-Fat will be giving you a cut of the diamond shipments. You have been paid for eliminating the governor. He owes you nothing more," said the woman as she came closer to the desk, putting her in view of Kono.

Kono gasped as she recognized Jenna Kaye, who occasionally assisted them with their tasks. None of them were aware that she was truly working with Wo-Fat. She had to tell Steve soon lest he divulge more important things to Jenna. No wonder Wo-Fat seemed to be a step ahead of them.

Delano grasped her face roughly. "Tell Wo-Fat, he is forever in debt. And he will only stop paying when I say so."

Jenna laughed hysterically. "Wo-Fat was right. You really are shrewd. But Wo-Fat is smarter. We have a video of you murdering the governor and if you don't stop harassing Wo-Fat, the video will fall in the hands of the police."

Delano jerked her face harder. "What did you say? A video? Well, if I'm going down, I'll take him with me. After all, he is the mastermind of this murder."

"You have no way to prove his connection to the murder," said Jenna as Delano tightened his hold on her face.

"What if I kill you now," said Delano.

"Kill me and you'll never see that flash drive containing the video," threatened Jenna.

Delano slid his hands from her face to her neck and pressed hard until Jenna almost lost her breath.

"I…I… I'll give you the flash drive in one condition," she managed to utter as she struggled to breathe.

"Give me a portion of the diamonds. Three hundred thousand worth of diamonds," Jenna continued.

This woman had no scruples, thought Kono.

Delano remained silent as he waited for her to continue.

"Meet me at the Valley of the Temples at 6pm. Bring no one with you. I don't trust you," said Jenna.

Delano laughed. "Goes the same for me, I neither trust you but I guess we both have to give some leeway as we both need something from the other."

As soon as Jenna left escorted by Smith. Delano and the three others remained inside the room.

"What do we do with these new batch of diamonds, Frank?", asked one of the goons.

"I will have to trade it in with my contacts in…What the!"

Suddenly without warning, Delano walked to his closet to open the safety deposit box to keep the new diamonds when he was caught by surprise by the sight of a beautiful woman hiding amongst the boxes at the bottom of the closet.

Before Kono could react, Delano grabbed her hand and pulled her up beside him, a gun in his other hand aiming at her.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my closet?"

Kono was still stunned that she didn't manage to say a word.

"Answer me! If you weren't so easy to look at I would have fired before asking questions," bellowed Delano.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's Kono. Smith's friend…" answered the other.

"What the heck did he bring her for?" yelled Delano.

While Delano was distracted, Kono took this chance to swing her legs and kick Delano so she could escape. Delano's gun fell to the floor and instinctively Kono jumped off the balcony which fortunately was not too high.

"Get her! She knows too much!"

Raging bullets ran after Kono as she ran towards her car. Never in her life had she drove faster than a hundred twenty but fear had a way of making one reckless for survival. She could hear the screeching of their tires and constant firing of their guns as they ran after her.

As she drove in zigzag, she groped for her cellphone on the passenger's side to call Fryer or her cousin Chin for assistance. She cursed as she noticed her cellphone battery was empty. Even if she didn't want to go home, she needed to get her charger and her purse with some money if she was going to hide from Delano.

When she realized she had lost them, she quickly made a turn towards her house. She parked haphazardly and scrambled for her keys in a matter of life and death rush. She ran to her room and opened the light but left the living room light close in case they managed to follow her. She didn't want to be an easy target.

Damn! She couldn't remember where her charger was. She grabbed her bag containing her wallet, her perfume and her hair brush. She pushed everything aside in frantic search for her charger, making her room topsy-turvy and then it dawned to her it was in her dining table.

She made her way to the dining table in the dark but as soon as her hand touched the charger, a larger hand covered hers, and then she felt the presence of a huge man behind her. But before she could scream her heart out, another hand clamped over her mouth.

She dug the heel of her boot on her assailant's toes and jerked back her elbow to his stomach. She heard a slight grunt as the man groped his stomach but before she could hit him another time she recognized the faint cry and stared hard at the silhouette and couldn't believe what she saw. She immediately switched on a lamp.

"Steve! Oh my god, boss, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you. What are you doing here?" cried Kono as she knelt down beside him and cradled his head on her lap.

Steve was not really hurt but he enjoyed Kono's attention as she ran her fingers on his hair, trying to comfort him and he did enjoy lying on her lap. He smiled at himself and continued to cry out in pain.

"I didn't think I hit you that hard. You've been hit harder," she said as she continued to pacify his cry of pain.

"So now you think I'm exaggerating after you've stepped on my toes with your killer heels and knocked the breath out of me," said Steve, trying to sound hurt instead of kidding but Kono caught the glint in his eye. She playfully pushed him off her lap and stood up.

"Boss, this isn't funny. I'm in a real mess and you shouldn't be teasing me. I thought I hurt you," said Kono seriously

Steve grinned deeper. "You did hurt me, look at what your boots did to my big toe."

She knew she should run to her car now and drive far, far away until the end of the island but somehow Steve's presence made her feel safe. She sighed and slumped to the floor. She's been holding her breath for a while, maybe it's fine to rest a little.

Steve watched her closely. Her long black hair was flying all over her face, her arms had scratches, her sexy top had a big rip. She was slumped on the floor like she ran a marathon without a drop of water to relieve her. Where had she been?

"Why are you in such a rush and why are you groping in the dark?" asked Steve as he sat up to level with her.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Several shots were fired at her house and instinctively Steve threw her on the floor, his body protecting her from the bullets. Kono landed on her back with Steve's body atop hers.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

It seemed like it took them ages to run out of ammunition. Kono was frightened for her life and Steve's but despite of the danger they were in, she was not blind to the wonderful feeling of Steve's body protectively over hers. She could feel his chest heavily heaving atop hers. Steve's eyes were darting around the room, checking if the enemies were fast approaching the house, his lips were inches away from Kono's.

His lips are so wonderfully pink, thought Kono. I wonder how it would feel to have them next to mine. She was shocked at the thoughts running in her head. Moreover, she was afraid that Steve would know how she felt.

She pushed his chest, trying to keep herself as far away from him as possible.

"Ugh…I can't breathe," she protested as she tried pushing him off her.

When Steve felt they were safe, he looked at Kono's beautiful dark eyes before getting off her. Her eyes are the same ebony shade as her hair, he realized and he felt there was nothing more beautiful than the woman in his arms.

"I don't think I'm that heavy," he said, trying to look offended.

"You're asking me why I was walking in the dark, they're the reason I was walking in the dark…."

"Run!" interrupted Steve as he pulled Kono towards the backdoor.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Bullets were fired anew as the men entered the house. Kono and Steve ran to Steve's open jeep barely reaching it in time to escape.

Kono was awaken by the blaring sun over head. She flinched as she tried to open her eyes against the glaring rising sun. She looked around and found the jeep surrounded by lush greens, gigantic trees, moss-covered rocks and the sound of a running brook hammering against pebble stones. She turned to her side and found Steve looking at her.

"Where are we?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"Honestly? I haven't the faintest idea. I just wanted to lose them on our trail that I didn't pay attention to where we were headed," replied Steve.

"I trust you slept well," said Steve with a smile.

"Why, didn't you?" asked Kono.

"We can't sleep at the same time lest someone slits our throats while we sleep."

"So you kept watch."

"Yes, I watched you…I mean I kept watch," he said, covering his slip.

"Just what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into, Kono," he asked, trying to sound angry.

"Who's in bigger trouble? The last time I checked you were supposed to be in jail," said Kono, trying not to laugh at Steve's serious face.

"I broke out of jail. So what, I'm big man and can take care of myself. I need to clear my name by finding out who really killed the governor, and you are mixed up with one of the most notorious deadly gang. What's Fryar got to do with all this? I want a straight answer, Kono. Your cousin and I are both worried about you."

"How did you escape?"

"Nope. You first," said Steve, refusing to answer her question.

Kono sighed before answering. "Fryar wanted me to dig in into Delano's shady business so I could get him something strong enough to put him permanently in jail or else he would come after FIVE-O's internal affairs case, and make life harder for all of us. I guess I must have snooped more that I should, I'm just on the first day when all these bullets came running after me."

"For Pete's sake Kono. Couldn't you have been more cautious? You're letting your feminine side get the better of you. You girls are so inquisitive. Haven't you heard the adage Curiosity Killed the Cat?"

"Please stop yelling, Steve. If I hadn't snooped around I wouldn't have found out the truth behind the governor's murder," said Kono.

Steve was dumbfounded as he listened to Kono.

"Wo-Fat ordered Delano to kill the governor for reasons not disclosed but after the pay off, Delano wanted more diamonds as further payment. Jenna came over and threatened Delano about a video tape of him murdering the governor which he will never be able to tie to Wo-Fat. But Jenna decided to sell the video tape to Delano and they are meeting on Friday for the exchange. Three hundred thousand worth of diamonds in exchange for the tape. I think that bitch is going to flee the country after that."

Steve looked confused. "Wha…What bitch? Who's Jenna? You're talking like as if I know her."

"You do know her," Kono simply stated.

"Know her? What are you talking about?"

"Jenna Kaye, your researcher friend. She works with Wo-Fat and she's black-mailing Delano. She's the kind of girl who tries to get the most out of men…using them to her advantage."

"That's not the Jenna Kaye I know. How do you know it was her? You could me mistaken," said Steve.

"Oh stop defending her. I saw her with my own two eyes. You just don't want to admit your girlfriend is siding with the enemy. He betrayed you. Who knows what other things she has done to betray your confidence…"

"Alright. Alright. I believe you. It was my fault. I had a lapse in judgment. Now stop this jealousy…"

"Jealousy? I'm not jealous of that unscrupulous woman. I…I'm just mad because she betrayed you after you trusted her and all. Hey… what are you doing? It's your turn to tell me how you got out of jail," protested Kono.

Steve ignored her and settled himself comfortably in the jeep.

"It's my turn to get a shut-eye. And you, you keep watch," said Steve as he grinned to himself remembering Kono's jealous tantrums.

Had she always been jealous of Jenna? He never noticed before. He'd been around a lot of women to know what jealousy looks like, and Kono just looked so adorable being jealous. He'll get the video and prove his innocence and everything will be back to normal. Well, not everything he hoped. He took a glimpse of Kono with one eye. She was running a hairbrush through her long hair. He won't be keeping his feelings inside for long. Everything is just dandy, he thought as he fell into a deep slumber. If only that were truly the case.


	4. Chapter 4

Something hit Steve squarely on the jaw which caused him to rouse from his otherwise comfortable nap. Crinkling his eyes in mild distaste, he forced one eye open and found Kono sulking at the passenger side of the jeep as she munched on some junk food Danny must have accidentally left on the jeep he lent Steve. Steve forced himself awake and picked up Kono's cellphone charger she threw on the dashboard in annoyance but ricocheted to his jaw.

"You're in good mood," he said in jest.

Kono made a face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I'm just so pissed I went home to get this charger and almost got shot, tore my Donna Karan corset blouse and now I can't even charge my phone to call Chin."

Steve remained quiet. There's still more coming he could tell. Living with his sister for several years made him ready for women's mood swings and outbursts.

"How can everything just change in a blink of an eye? I lost the badge I worked so hard for, you went to jail. FIVE-0 is no more and a bunch of crazy assassins are at our heels, not to mention the cops that should be on our side. And damn I need my cranberry juice, and this potato chip sucks. It must have been in this jeep for months. I don't even know if I'll still be alive to give my family a call tomorrow, and for all the damn days I should get my period I get when I'm in the middle of nowhere running for my life!" she burst out in anger, staring straight at the windshield, her chest heaving as she tried to control her emotions.

This is it. I know what's coming next, Steve thought. He counted to ten and reached out to take Kono into his arms for a comforting hug just as she burst into tears.

"I'm so sorry, Steve. Didn't mean to be so cranky. It's just that…I'm so scared. People only see my tough side. They think I'm incapable of feeling fear. I am tough but I'm human too. I do get scared and right now I'm confused, I'm scared and I don't know what to do. I'm scared for Chin too. What if Delano uses him to get to me?"

Steve pushed her harder against him as he cooed a few comforting words to calm her down. Darn but she smelled heavenly and she just felt so right in his arms, he had to restrain himself from running his lips all over her face and down her throat. She was vulnerable and no way should he take advantage of it.

"Don't worry. We'll check into an inconspicuous motel or a cabin. We'll get you the supplies you need. We'll get a decent meal and we'll call Chin from the motel landline or a payphone. How does that sound?" asked Steve with a big smile.

Kono looked at Steve and managed a smile amidst her teary eyes.

"You make everything sound so easy."

"Nah! I just happen to understand that you saw your face in the mirror and lost it," said Steve, trying not to laugh.

Kono burst out laughing. "Do I look that bad?"

"You look like hell! Now, c'mon, we'll get you that shower and I'll even buy you your favorite choco-caramel fudge," teased Steve.

Kono was delighted. "Wow! How'd you know I love that? Let's go what are we waiting for? Let's buy some chocolate cake for the girl that looks like hell."

_Oh Kono, you look like I hell I could just kiss you senseless until you can only remember my name, and my name alone. _

Soon they found a moderately nice hotel at the edge of the woods. It had twenty rooms to accommodate hikers and tourists who want to hike and camp up the mountains and explore the woods beyond the hotel. Steve parked the jeep on the parking area at the side of the hotel. A small playground was set up at the garden beside the hotel entrance.

Kono excitedly rushed to join two kids who were playing at the swing while Steve eyed the surroundings to assess how safe they were at the place before eventually following Kono to the playground. Like a child excited to play, Kono gaily swung the swing as high as she could as the two kids giggled beside her.

"Aren't you scared?" asked the little girl.

"No. I love swinging high and fast. I used to have one in our family backyard when I was a kid but I became too big to play in it. Now it's just my nephews and their friends who use it. I rarely see swings that can accommodate adults."

She flashed them a friendly smile.

"Do you have kids?" asked the little boy.

"No, I haven't any yet…"

"Kono! Come on. We need to get inside," called Steve from the foyer.

"Woow! Is that your husband?" asked the boy in awe.

"He looks scary," observed the little girl.

"Uhuh. Big and scary," nodded the boy.

"He's my friend and he's very nice. You shouldn't be scared of him," said Kono with a big smile.

"He doesn't smile a lot, does he?" asked the boy.

Kono laughed. "Don't worry. I'll tell him to smile more often."

She ruffled their hairs and waved good bye. She found Steve signing the registration forms and paying for their lodging. When the receptionist was out of earshot Steve said rather firmly, "Let's put your modesty aside for the time being. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

She was by nature conservative and would normally require a separate room but she was too rattled at the moment to protest. The receptionist showed them the way to the farthest corridor from the lobby where there were only 3 rooms. She unlocked the door before handing the key to Kono. The room was neatly furnished with earthly colors, a television, a private shower, a dinette, and one double bed.

"Oh, don't you have a room with twin beds?" asked Kono nonchalantly.

The receptionist looked at her in surprise. "You want a room with 2 separate beds, Mrs. Stevens?"

She caught Steve turning into a light shade of pink. Kono laughed. "You see, the double bed is too small, should be a queen bed for my husband and I to sleep comfortably. You can understand how big he is, don't you? Twin beds will do nicely."

"Of course, I'm sorry. Let me get the key to the room next door. Just wait for me please," said the receptionist nicely.

When they were alone Steve's face turned deeper red. "I…I'm sorry. There have been so many things on my mind I forgot to request for two beds," he said uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you," he said sincerely.

Kono pat his back. "No need to apologize. No offense taken, boss."

She caught Steve's sigh of relief that she joked. "Besides it sure would be strange to request 2 beds for a Mr. and Mrs."

The receptionist returned and led them to the room next door.

"I'll leave you to freshen up. I saw a shop in the lobby. I'll buy you some fresh clothes. What you're wearing is too eye-catching," said Steve matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah. You said I look like hell," laughed Kono.

"I'll leave the clothes on the bed. I'll call Chin from the lobby and order us some breakfast. I'll see you there," replied Steve.

* * *

"Hello, Chin," called Steve from the hotel payphone.

"Hello, Steve? Wherever you are, you got to be careful. HPD is looking for you. I've got a big problem-Kono is missing. I was just at her apartment and the place is in shambles and there were bullets fired everywhere…"

"Tell me about it, I was there last night and I was on the receiving end of those bullets. Listen Chin, don't worry about Kono. She's with me and I won't let anything happen to her."

"Oh, thank god. I went to see Fryer to tell him about Kono and ask for his help and that bastard denied enlisting her to spy on Delano. He figured if Kono was dead, he might as well wash his hands off her. It's his word against mine."

Steve cursed. "Remind me to fry his ass when all this is over," he roared angrily.

"I'm just glad you got Kono before Delano got her," Chin said in relief.

"Listen, Chin. I need your help. Let me know what you can find out about Jenna Kaye."

"Jenna Kaye? Your researcher-writer friend?" asked Chin bewildered.

"She's somehow mixed-up in all these but I don't know how. I was stupid enough to just trust her when she said she was on the same side as my father."

Chin was getting more and more confused. "But wasn't she the one who helped you escape? She said she's got a connection to someone higher up that's why the coast was clear for you between 3-4am yesterday?"

Steve sighed in exasperation, "That's right. I thought she was on our side all along but Kono saw her at Delano's delivering some business to him from Wo-Fat. If she's Wo-Fat's ally…"

"…then your escape was a part of their plan all along," finished Chin.

"You're right, and the worse part is I have no idea to what plan," said Steve grimly.


	5. Chapter 5

Laughter almost led Danny to choke on his second bottle of beer when Steve and Kono appeared at the café of the hotel at the edge of the woods. Chin was seated beside Danny watching a few kids playing in the garden, the sight of the adorable pair that approached their table made him grin from ear to ear.

"What the heck are you guys wearing," asked Danny, trying to suppress his grin.

Kono was wearing a loose white souvenir shirt that says "someone in Hawaii loves me" tucked in a very short khaki shorts, revealing her long, tanned legs. Her dainty feet snug into rubber sandals. A matching canvass bag designed with surf boards in a huge colorful print that says "Hawaii" while Steve's matching outfit was a white shirt with a printed designed of two fat hoola dancers in front. The shirt tucked into the same denim pants he was wearing the night before. His sneakers, although a bit muddy from the night before would still do.

"This design was all I could find with my size at the souvenir shop," laughed Steve, trying not to be annoyed with his friends reaction.

"What! We're trying to blend in the crowd," explained Steve as he read Danny and Chin's amused expression.

"Can you take this home, Cuz? They don't fit inside the canvass bag," said Kono, handing a plastic bag containing her boots and leather pants.

"What's inside your canvass bag?" asked Chin.

Kono brushed her long hair from her face with her fingers as she answered, "My cellphone, his wallet. My hairbrush, his jacket, a pair of tooth brush and a couple of snacks in case we get stranded some place without food."

"You two look like a couple of tourists on their honeymoon," smiled Danny.

"Cool footwear, Cuz," said Chin.

"I can't let her ran in heels," added Steve.

"Wait. You need a last touch in your disguise," said Chin. He took off Danny's shades and put it on Steve while he brought out his own from breast pocket and put it on Kono.

"To make you look like authentic tourists on your honeymoon, you shouldn't be used to the Hawaiian sun. Now, don't they look lovely," teased Chin.

"Stop teasing and let's get down to business," said Steve

"Uhm Kono, don't you want to have a go in the swing?"

Kono folded her arms and eyed Steve. "No, I already had a go in it this morning. I want to listen to what you have to discuss."

Danny finished his beer and interrupted. "Careful. You're both beginning to sound like an old married couple. Wait a minute before I forget. Your sister's been looking for you. She kept calling and asking where you are. She said she was coming to Hawaii."

"What? Just like my sister to be coming at the worse time. Didn't you tell her I'm on the run? I can't take care of her and I don't want to drag her into all these chaos. Tell her I'm visiting her as soon as everything's fine," said Steve.

"About Jen…" began Chin.

"Did I tell you guys that Kono and I are going to the Valley of the Temples tonight to try and intercept the video?" interrupted Steve.

Chin looked confused. "Yes you told us. Danny and I are following on a separate car just in case you guys may need help."

"Kohno, I need to go to the bathroom. Can you take me to your room please," said Danny.

Kono was left no choice but to go with Danny. "Don't you want to hear what they're going to discuss?"

"We can ask them later when we reach the Valley of the Temples," said Danny.

When they were out of earshot Steve asked, "okay what have you learned about Jenna?"

"Why don't you want Kono to hear the conversation?" asked Chin.

Steve was a bit sheepish. "Well, you know. It kind of ticks her off whenever she hears Jenna's name mentioned. I just don't want to blacken her mood. She thinks Jenna has a thing for me."

Chin laughed. "You mean my cousin is jealous of Jenna?"

Danny was suddenly back at the table. "What! That's ridiculous. Kona can't be jealous of Jenna. She's far more attractive than Jenna."

Chin laughed at the turn of conversation while Steve stared hard at Danny.

"What? All I'm saying is that in my opinion, there simply is no comparison Kona is way hotter than Jena," continued Danny as he helped himself with Steve's plate of peanuts.

"I'm not in the position to say anything. I'm her cousin. I have a biased opinion."

"Shut up, Dano! And where the hell is Kono?"

"I thought you wanted her out of earshot. She's over there by the lobby flirting with three gorgeous hunks."

"What! And you left her there?" Steve was aghast.

"For crying out loud Steve. She's not going to get pregnant. They found her hot and so they struck a conversation, a little flirtation won't kill her, and you for that matter."

"Shut up Dano! Now go on, Chin."

Chin tried to become serious once again but he couldn't help noticing how Steve suddenly seemed quite infatuated with Kono. Was it just his imagination or has he always been so attentive where she is concerned? He didn't want to meddle in their affairs. Steve's a good man and Kono is a grown woman who can take care of herself.

"I can't tell you anything else about her that we don't already know. So what I did was dug into Wo-Fat to see if there is anything about him that might involve Jenna Kaye. And voila! Wo-Fat have always had a nameless civilian partner that does his dirty work. Rumor has it that it's a woman but no one can really say for sure."

Steve was only half listening, he was straining his neck to catch a glimpse of Kono at the lobby.

"There's more Steve…" Chin's voice trailed off as he and Danny noticed Steve's straining effort to see Kono.

"You, you want to move to the lobby?" asked Danny.

"Uh…no…no. Go on, Chin."

"This is the interesting part, Steve. Wo-fat's been looking for a woman for a year now. A woman that could open a rumored safety deposit box that contained the rarest pink diamond believed to be worth approximately twenty-fifty million dollars."

"Do you think this woman has something to do with my father's death?" asked Steve.

"Perhaps directly or indirectly," replied Chin, "because she was called McGarrett's Woman."


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as they crossed the cemented bridge over the large Koi pond encompassing the temple, Kono ran and gaily pulled the rope with all her might to ring the gigantic sacred bell outside the temple. Her excitement was evident with her big smile. Steve made a face at the loud noise the vintage looking bell had made that almost broke his eardrum.

"Do you have to ring that so loud?" he asked in exasperation.

"The ringing of this sacred bell brings happiness and blessings. Why don't you try it?" said Kono.

"I'm not a Buddhist," simply replied Steve.

"Neither am I but it's a custom here in the Valley of the Temple and it's always nice to believe in something heavenly such as blessings," smiled Kono, urging him to ring the bell as well.

Steve smiled at his sweet and gentle-natured companion, "Alright but if this loud bang wakes the dead, don't go running to me for protection."

Steve gave it a go before they proceeded inside the lush, green surroundings of the temple grounds. The main temple was long and wide situated right at the middle of the surroundings, overlooking the Koi pond that housed a hundred different colored carps, where elegant black swans swim in pairs like lovers in the mist, and the garden with its various species of tropical flowers.

"Aren't we a bit early?" observed Kono, peeking at her watch.

"Yup. To familiarize ourselves with the place so we know where to run and hide if the need arises," replied Steve.

"Where's Chin and Danny? Aren't they coming?" asked Kono.

"They are but maybe later. They do need to check-in at HPD headquarters and work."

Kono walked to the flock of peacocks by the huge tree, their decorative tails wide open like fans. Peacocks walk around the place like royalty.

"Look! Aren't they adorable, Steve?" said Kono.

Steve returned her infectious smile. It was truly a peaceful and serene place one could forget the existence of the outside world. Exploring the beautiful grounds and heavenly atmosphere with Kono was enough to make him forget how much in deep trouble they were in. If only staying here would be a haven for them, if only it would protect them from harmful outside forces that threaten their peace and safety. It was hard to believe that crooks like Delano and Jenna Kaye would choose to come to a place like this.

Steve glanced around and caught sight of a little waterfall at the far side of the compound amidst tall pine trees and the misty hills surrounding the back of the temple.

"Hey Kono I have something to show you," said Steve.

Kono complied with no questions asked. They passed by the meditation pavilion, more ponds and bridges, past the flower gardens, and up a stony, hilly terrain.

"Easy… careful…" warned Steve gently as he held her hand like she was a fragile dove.

Once she almost slipped but Steve steadied her and flashed her one of his rare charming smiles. As he steadied her, he noticed the little tattoo on her upper back, revealed by the lose shirt.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked curiously.

"It's a sticker. The kids by the hotel playground did it," she said.

_Please don't be so sweet, and caring. You're making it harder for me to stop myself from falling in love with you_, cried Kono inside her head.

She could feel herself blushing deeper and deeper each passing moment. _Please don't let Steve point it out. I'm going to die of embarrassment. Relax Kono, it's not a date. You're just exploring the place. Technically you are both on duty._

"It's alright, boss. I can take care of myself," she reassured him kindly.

They soon reached the foot of the hill where a small raging waterfall merges into a crystal clear icy stream.

"It's beautiful," sighed Kono as she admired the paradise they stepped in. After breathing in the tranquility and wonder of the place Kono noticed Steve's inscrutable countenance as he sat on the boulder looking at the stream.

"And just how did you know this was here? I bet you've brought a lot of girls to this spot," joked Kono.

"No of course not," said Steve, trying not to laugh in amusement as he walked beside her.

"It's the first time I've been here," he insisted.

"Nah. I don't believe you," laughed Kono.

"Stop teasing me, Kono or else…" he warned flirtatiously.

"Or else what?" she flirted back with an innocent smile.

"Or else I would…" began Steve calmly, "splash water on you!" he yelled as he scooped a handful of water from the stream and splashed them at Kono.

Kono yelped in surprise before scooping a handful of water herself and playfully screaming as she splash them on Steve.

The two laughed and giggled as they splashed water on each other playfully like kids.

"Hey! Hey! Cut that out kids! We've got work to do," said a stern voice.

The adorable pair stopped playing around and glanced up to find Danny and Chin looking at them with a dumbfounded expression.

"How'd you know where to find us?" asked Steve.

"We could hear my cousin's giggle all the way from the bell," kidded Chin in wry amusement as he approached the pair, wiping Kono's wet face with his handkerchief.

"You guys didn't ring the bell?" asked Kono in surprise.

"And announce our presence to Delano and Jenna? Come on it's almost time. We need to find a good place where we see them but they don't see us," said Danny, leading the way back to the main temple.

By the time they reached the courtyard of the temple, Jenna and Delano were already negotioating in the middle of the bridge over the Koi pond. Delano's three men were standing on the pavement close to the temple stairs. It was already dark and their faces were only illuminated by the garden lamps.

The group rushed over to where they were. Chin and Danny hid themselves behind the red pillars of the temple entrance where they could easily take on Delano's men. Steve hid behind an enormous well-trimmed shrub close to Jenna's exit should she decide to run while Kono settled by the flower garden at a distant, giving her a full view of everyone.

As Danny, Chin and Steve settled on their hiding place, they could hear the shouting match of the pair before Delano's men seized the struggling Jenna.

"You're crazy! I am not the McGarrett's woman. I don't have the key to the pink diamonds," yelled Jenna.

"Why should I believe you? You're a shrewd woman. You can twist everyone around your little finger. You're a business woman. Poor Wo-Fat, looking for the woman who can give him the pink diamonds when she is right under his nose all along," said Delano calmly.

"Damn you! Let's just trade the video and forget this insane accusation. I'm not the McGarrett's Woman," yelled Jenna.

"Liar! I've seen you with Steve McGarrett. You worked with him and twisted him just like you did with Wo-Fat. I want those diamonds. With those, I can leave the country and disappear. No one can ever find me."

Everyone couldn't move a limb, they were all fascinated by the tale of the McGarrett Woman.

"Wo-Fat helped him escape prison so that he can lead us to the McGarrett Woman. He's a fugitive. He's desperate and he needed money to get away, and the only one who can help him is the McGarrett woman. And we were right, he led us to her."

Suddenly, a loud single shot rang through the air as Kono shot the HPD police who was about to shoot Steve while he was crouched behind the bush listening to Delano and Jenna, totally unaware of the arrival of the HPD. Behind the bush, Steve was exposed to the people arriving the temple but hidden from the people at the temple and since Kono was situated by the gardens, she saw their arrival but couldn't warn Steve in time due to his distance from her. She had no choice but to shoot to save him.

A riot erupted as Delano's men open-fired. It was a surprise that there were more than three of them. The rest were standing by the shadows.

"Cops!" yelled Delano and dragged the struggling Jenna away as the cops and his men exchanged fires. Steve tried to run after them to secure the video but he lost them in the struggle. He knew he mustn't be caught for the proof of his innocence was still not in his hands. He surveyed the area for Kono and found her struggling to free herself from the cops fighting to keep her with them.

"Kono!" yelled Steve and started running towards her but Chin caught and stopped him.

"Please Steve. To be seen with you will only make things worse for her, and if you get caught, it's the end. Run and hide. Danny and I will keep in touch with you. And don't worry, I'll take care of Kono."

_I'm sorry, Kono. I promise I'll be back for you. _With a heavy heart, he ran deep into the night.

Fryer purposefully approached the officer holding Kono by the arm.

"Officer Kalakaua, you are under arrest for assisting and protecting a fugitive…"


	7. Chapter 7

Danny heaved a deep sigh. He hadn't been sleeping much since Five-0 had been abolished, and he got an even lesser sleep since Steve escaped from prison. He couldn't believe that after all the good work they have done, Five-0 was being treated like a criminal, especially Steve and Kono who had both taken a big blow career-wise . He and Chin have their hands tied, they couldn't do much as they might take a rap themselves and make things even more difficult for their group.

He turned his car to Steve's street, and parked inconspicuously behind a huge acacia tree. He was picking up a couple of things from his apartment before meeting him up at the hotel outside the woods. They've got to get that video tape for starters so they prove Steve's innocence and fix everything up from there. He was almost near the backdoor when he heard something moving inside the apartment.

He slowly crept to the door holding his gun. He heard the refrigerator door slam as the shuffling began moving farther from the door and further inside. He tried the door and it was open. The kitchen and the living room were empty but the upstairs door leading to Steve's room was ajar. He slowly climbed up cautious of what he might find. The room was empty but the bathroom door was open and he could hear the bidet running inside the glass panel of the shower.

Taking a deep breath, Danny pulled the glass panel open and aimed his gun at the intruder inside the shower, yelling: "Freeze!"

The woman behind the glass panel screamed and threw the carton of milk she was holding to Danny and sprayed the bidet to his face viciously as she kept screaming.

Danny recognized the woman clad in a pink bathrobe, a huge diamond pendant hanging around her neck, falling between her breast.

"Mary! It's me Danny- Detective Williams," he screamed.

"Oh, oh it's you," said Mary, having calmed down, "I thought you were one of the bad guys."

"Yeah, well now having established I'm a good guy and a friend of your brother's, maybe you could like quit spraying that thing on my face," said Danny patiently.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," said Mary as she put away the bidet back beside the shower head.

Danny's long-sleeved polo and slacks were drenched with milk and soaked with water and his hair was dripping all over his face and down the bathroom floor. He took the towel by the rack and wiped his face.

"And for what you just did, I'm taking your brother's Oscar dela Renta," said Danny as he ransacked Steve's closet for some change of clothes.

"That's Steve's casual for 'special occasion'," she began to protest.

"I know! Doesn't it look smashing on me? " grinned Danny as slipped on the charcoal pin-stripe long-sleeved polo that fit perfectly.

"Look. I said I was sorry. I was testing the water temperature as I don't want to scald myself. You know how hot the water is in Hawaii that sometimes you don't even need a water heater. You caught me by surprise."

"Well that makes two of us. Can you care to tell me what you are doing here at Steve's house? Didn't I tell you he said not to come to Oahu," said Danny sternly like a brother.

"Yes, I know but I can't help it. I have to tell him something. It's been bugging me for a while now. Where is he? "

"I can't tell you. I only have one thing to say, Mary, go on back to the plane, back to the mainland and your brother will see you in a month or so," said Danny.

"What! I have just arrived a few hours ago. My things are still in the suitcase underneath the bed. I am not going home for another grueling hours of plane ride till I speak to Steve," said Mary indignantly.

"In the meantime, I'm going to have a nice bubble bath," she simply added.

* * *

Chin felt sorry for his cousin the minute he found her tall, slender frame hand-cuffed to the chair, her head falling to her side in an exhausted sleep, her hair in disarray but her shorts and shirt still surprisingly clean. Have they given her something to eat, he wondered. He entered the isolated interview room and placed the package of IHOP pancakes, and a carton of cranberry juice in front of her. He knelt beside her, shaking her awake as he remembered his row with Capt. Fryer last night.

"Kono doesn't deserve this," said Chin.

"She'd been a very efficient cop and she helped you by posing as an undercover to Delano which endangered her life. Now you are arresting her for aiding a fugitive? If you think she is guilty, then Danny and I are as equally guilty. We were also there at the Valley of the Temples," asserted Chin.

"But you guys didn't shoot a police. She did…"

"Cut her some slack, okay. She'd been on the run from Delano for days. If you have been chased by bullets for days it's enough to cloud your judgment for a moment…"

"Look, I haven't formally charged her for anything. I'm just keeping her for questiong," explained Fryer.

"But she already answered your questions and besides, you know you can't keep her here for more than 24 hours without a formal arrest," said Chin.

His reverie was cut as Kono slowly opened her eyes.

"My arms hurt… and my neck. My legs feel numb," she told Chin groggily.

"You're not a hardened criminal, why can't they take these cuffs off for pete's sake," he said in exasperation.

"They don't trust me not to run," smiled Kono.

"Nice! Those pancakes look yummy," she continued.

"You look famished. Didn't they feed you last night," observed Chin as he slipped a straw on the carton of cranberry juice and held it up for Kono to drink.

"They gave me a garden salad. You know how people think that just because you are slim you only eat salad," she laughed.

"Have you talked to Steve yet?" she asked as she swallowed a slice of pancake.

"Nope. Our phones are bugged. Just as I have a stinking feeling someone is watching behind that glass and listening to our conversation," he said, giving another piece of pancake to Kono.

"I better try talking some sense into Capt. Fryer again. Perhaps the night's sleep have cleared his head," he said.

"Go. Talk to him before he flees the office," urged Kono.

"But you're not yet done. The food isn't going to walk to your mouth you know," he jested.

"Don't worry about me. There are two rookie officers who have been very nice and accommodating to me," she smiled.

"You're putting on the charm again, 'cuz," laughed Chin.

"No, they are just helpful by nature," she laughed.

"No, don't start on me again, Chin. I told you Kono is better off inside the headquarters so stop arguing about it," said Fryer the moment he caught a glimpse of Chin making his way inside his office.

Chin's temper was about to erupt again when a couple of gory murder photos on Fryer's desk caught his eye. Without permission, he picked the file and stared at the photos closer.

"It's Jenna Kaye…" he uttered in a low voice.

Captain Fryer heard him and snatched the file from his hands.

"Yes, it's her. She was tortured and rape. Now give that to me. It's a confidential file…"

"Confidential? Does that have something to do with the pink diamonds and the McGarrett Woman file?" interrupted Chin.

Captain Fryer stood up in anger. "What do you know about that?"

Chin remained quiet.

"Tell me what you know. Your life depends on it. And so does the life of a lot of people, especially Kono's. Tell me, who is the McGarrett woman?" he asked angrily.

"I don't know who she is. I just know both Delano and Wo-Fat want her. What does she have to do with Kono and does Steve know about this case?" asked Chin.

"Kono shouldn't have ran away with Steve McGarrett… would give the bad guys the impression she…"

"I'll tell you what we overheard about it, if you come clean," said Chin.

Fryer sat on his chair in exasperation. He was silent for a moment as though debating whether to tell Chin Ho Kelly or not. In those minutes, Fryer looked much older than he was. He had been working on this case secretly for a long time. He was tired and for a long time he just wanted to shove underneath the pile of cold cases.

"This was sometime ago when I was still a rookie cop. Steve's father busted a huge diamond smuggling syndicate. Operations stopped and as far as we know the big people behind it were put behind bars. All the diamonds were confiscated by the government but…there were five beautiful rough rare pink diamonds that were put on a safe that only a selected few high officials knew about, even I don't know where the safe is up to now."

"Does Steve's father know where the safe is?" asked Chin Ho.

Fryer shook his head. "No, I think he doesn't. He was kept in the dark about it. However, he was entrusted the key to open the safe. But he died so suddenly in duty, he was not able to give it back. His belongings were searched but the key was not found. Steve was asked about a key to the safe but he denied knowing anything about it."

"We suspected John told Joe White, his best friend or his son Steve. Both were being checked and so far both look clean but Steve killed the governor so everyone believed he lied about not knowing about the key. The governor knew about the diamonds and she wanted the diamonds for herself. A lot of officials wanted those diamonds for themselves…if they can get it without being caught. Wo-Fat knew the governor was a friend of John McGarrett, and he suspected she might have the diamonds."

"Steve did not kill the governor," insisted Chin.

Fryer made a face at Chin's comment before continuing.

"Now that the governor is dead, and Steve stands accused. What do you think Wo-Fat thinks? He believed, like everyone else, that the diamonds are now with Steve. Why else do you think he sent Jenna Kaye to your circle?- To investigate. Only we didn't know back then that she was a snitch of course."

"Where does Kono come in?" asked Chin.

"I sent her to Delano so she could find out what he knows about the diamonds or about the McGarrett woman as he's been looking for her too but things went wrong…well, you know the rest."

"Why did Delano kill Jenna? Or was it Wo-Fat that killed her?"

"We have no solid proof which of them did it. But Delano thought she was the woman who knew about the diamonds, he would have tortured her to make her talk. But Jenna was telling the truth, she isn't the McGarrett woman."

"How do you know she isn't?" asked Chin.

"We searched her body…she didn't have the mark."

Fryer sighed and looked at Chin solemnly.

"But the worse thing now is, Delano thinks it's Kono after finding her with McGarrett after spying on him in his house, Jenna and Wo-Fat believes the same too. She's in danger."

Their conversation was interrupted by a police officer who was panting so hard as he came rushing inside Fryer's office.

"Captain! She escaped. Officer Kalakaua escaped."

"Damn! That's the reason I assigned two of you to keep an eye on her to prevent this thing from happening," scolded Fryer.

"She was sleek and she gave us the slip. She said she was only going to the lavatory and I stood outside the door," explained the officer.

"Well, you should have stayed outside the cubicle and not outside the bathroom door. Now pull up a team and find her," demanded Fryer.

"Yes, sir. Three of our officers are out chasing her now."

Fryer sighed almost in defeat.

"We've got to find Kono, Chin, before either Delano or Wo-Fat does."

Fryer stared hard at Jenna's photos "…or else she might end up just like Jenna."


	8. Chapter 8

That afternoon by the headquarters parking lot, underneath a coco palm tree where the Hawaiian winds gush drowning their voices so that no eavesdroppers can hear, Danny and Chin met, each with his own preoccupation that he wanted to share to the other.

"We've got a problem!" they both said at the same time.

"Ok. You first. What's the problem?" asked Danny.

"Girl trouble," replied Chin nonchalantly.

Danny smiled a knowing smile. "What do you know, me too. Your wife?" he asked Chin.

"No. My cousin. Kono gave the HPD the slip. Now they're hunting her down."

Danny made a face. "Oh, no. Why does Kono insist on making life harder for herself?" screamed Danny.

Chin sighed in exasperation, " She's irrational because she's in love with Steve…ugh! I shouldn't have said that but for pete's sake it's written all over her face!"

"Women don't have to be in love to be irrational. They are simply irrational. Period. You tell them not to do one thing, and they do exactly the opposite," cried Danny.

Chin gave a wry smile. "Ugh! I know exactly what you mean. Your ex-wife?"

"No. Mary!" he answered.

"Mary Anne McGarrett?" asked Chin incredulously.

"Yes!" exclaimed Danny in frustration.

Danny continued, "Women! You tell one to stay put but she runs away. You tell the other to stay away but she comes running to you. Oh my god!"

"There's only one thing left to do, Dannny…."

"You're right, Chin," replied Danny, reading his mind.

* * *

It was a painful couple of hours drive to their destination having to listen to Mary's incessant chatter and complain. Why do women talk so much when they are agitated, excited and afraid, wondered the guys until finally they parked the car a few yards from the hotel entrance.

"Wooh! Golly, a swing…"

"Whoop! Not so fast, Mary. Stay in the car," demanded Danny.

Chin and Danny eyed each other. It was too quiet. The few people who stayed for a hike must have gone home by now. Outdoors may be too taxing in excess and a weekday may not invite as many campers as a weekend.

"But I want to try it out. Let me stay there while you go get my brother."

"No, in the car, Mary," said Danny firmly.

"I'm gonna die of boredom here," she complained.

"It will only take a couple of minutes, promise," reassured Chin as he and Danny made their way to the lobby.

They were casually strolling past the lobby towards the last corridor when both man saw the slumped body of the receptionist on the floor. Their senses were suddenly alert as they pulled out their gun. No wonder it was too quiet. something was wrong.

"Danny, look out!" called Chin as an m16 rifle fired at them which they managed to dodge.

"It's Delano's men," observed Chin.

They exchanged fires with them as they tried to reach Steve's room. As soon as they pushed his bedroom door open, they found Kono fightining hand in hand with Delano. Chin helped her tackle him as Danny kept firing on his men to keep them from entering the room.

Soon Delano and his men were wiped out by the Five-0 group. The trio slumped themselves on the bedroom floor in exhaustion after their victory.

After a moment of composing themselves, Kono stood up over them, her back to the door and gave the guys a triumphant smile.

"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you. I was looking for Steve but he appears to have checked-out. Delano caught me on my way out. I got the video," she told them in between breaths before throwing the flashdrive in Chin's direction.

"Thank god it's over," panted Danny as he and Chin begin to stand.

"Yes, it's finally over and I'll have the diamonds. Thanks for killing Delano for me."

A cold, deep baritone voice suddenly spoke from behind Kono. They saw Kono's smile vanished, her slim body slumping forward as she was hit by a taser. Her immobilized body was caught by strong hands before either of them caught her. They looked up and found themselves staring into the dark, cold-blooded countenance of Wo-Fat and in a blink of an eye he was gone with Kono.

"F-K!" they both wanted to curse.

They ran back to the car and found Mary was nowhere in sight.

"Oh… no!" said Chin.

"This can't be happening?" yelled Danny.


	9. Chapter 9

Suddenly Steve's car pulled up beside theirs. They didn't know whether to be relieved or not.

"What happened? You guys look like shit. It's a good thing I came back to cover my tracks or else I would have missed you."

"It's too late to cover them now. The mafia seemed to have found you."

"What do you mean?" he asked them.

Danny and Chin sighed and gave each other a wry look before telling Steve what had just transpired.

Steve's face stunned for a moment. He didn't know whether to cry or to raise hell.

"Let me get this straight, you're telling me you lost both Kono and my sister, is that right?"

"No, that's not correct. Technically we only lost your sister because we don't know where she is but we didn't misplace Kono as we know where she is-She was kidnapped by Wo-Fat," said Danny.

Steve didn't know if he was going to strangle his friend who was trying to be cute in a very serious situation.

He cursed under his breath. "It's me Wo-Fat wanted. Why take Kono?"

"There's something you must know, Steve. Do you know anything about a key that's in your father's possession?" asked Chin.

"I already told everyone in the force, even the governor. I don't know where the key is. It's not among father's effects when I took care of them," he replied in exasperation.

"That key opens to a safe of rare pink diamonds. Both sides wanted the key, our government and our enemies. And it was rumored to be in the possession of a woman whom they nicknamed "McGarrett Woman". Wo-Fat planted Jenna to find the woman who had the key and she told him it was Kono."

Danny interrupted. "We all know it's not Kono but in order to save her. We have to find out who this woman is and get that bloody key."

"There's only one way to find out who she is. She's got a mark," said Chin.

"What kind of mark?" asked Danny.

"A dragon tattoo," whispered Chin.

"It's Mary!" exclaimed Steve and Danny at the same time.

Steve furrowed his brows and grabbed Danny by the collar.

"How the hell do you know my sister's got a dragon tattoo beside her navel?"

"Wait, Steve. It's not what you think. Let me explain. I didn't do anything. We caught each other by surprise in your house and she's only got a bathrobe on. She was about to take a shower. Please believe me," explained Danny, trying to pacify Steve.

Steve exhaled and calmed down. "Of course I believe you. How my father trusted Mary with something that important is beyond me."

A soft muffled voice and persistent hammering from the trunk of Danny and Chin's car caught their attention.

"Steve? Steve, is that you?"

Chin immediately opened the trunk and the trio found the bewildered Mary who sprung out of the trunk.

"Mary!" exclaimed Steve as he embraced his sister tighter than he intended. She may be a pain sometimes but she was the only family he's got left and he intend to keep her safe.

"I heard gunshots and I remembered Kono said from the last time I came to visit that when things go awry. Hide. Hide. Hide. And that's what I did," explained Mary.

"I'm so glad you're safe." He kissed her and hugged her tighter before suddenly reprimanding her.

"What the hell are you doing here? Didn't I tell you it's not safe to come here," he yelled.

"I couldn't sleep. Something's bugging me…"

"Then go see a therapist," cut in Steve.

"I don't need a therapist. I have something of father's that I want to give you."

All three men were suddenly hovering over Mary in interest. She pulled out the diamond pendant from her neck and handed it to Steve. It wasn't real but examining it closely, Steve saw it was custom-made as a key to fit a special custom-made safe.

"I saw it in father's room a month before he died. I figured who else would he be giving jewelry to but his daughter so I borrowed it."

"Borrowed? Did he know you got it?" asked Steve.

"No. I was supposed to tell him but I got busy… you know, went here with my friends, went there to study etc. And he was not exactly easy to find either. He went from one place to another himself…"

"In short, your guilty conscience is now telling you to tell me about this."

"I'm sorry, Steve…" said Mary shamefully.

Steve took her in his arms. "It's alright. I'm glad you're telling me now."

"Let's bring the flashdrive to Fryer to prove your innocence, Steve then we can pull our resources to find Kono," suggested Chin.

Steve looked at Chin seriously. "We're not just going to find her. I intend to find her safe."


	10. Chapter 10

Seated in his office back in Five-0 headquarters, Steve was lost in thought about the precarious situation Kono was in. He exhaled and ran his fngers through his hair as he study Wo-Fat's possible hiding places. They couldn't afford a trial and error operation as the possible areas were hours apart from each other and time consumed moving from one place to the other may result in Kono's demise.

It felt good to be back to his office but he couldn't relish the triumph of clearing his name and being back in position, right now he would have given up his freedom for Kono's safe return. He knew he couldn't afford to be emotional. He had to remain objective.

Mary couldn't stand it. She was drinking a glass of ice cold water to expel the heat of this warm night and she thought of bringing some to his brother and found him oblivious of his surroundings, his eyes were bloodshot, clouded with something dark and heavy. She'd never seen him looked so vulnerable. It had been a long day and it's almost daybreak but her brother remained vigilant and diligent as he painstakingly plan his rescue.

She looked around and found more than a dozen police officers around the headquarters and none of them could do something to alleviate her brother's burden.

"What the hell are you guys sitting here for? There's a whole lot of you and you can't find my brother's girlfriend? What's the state paying you for?" she blurted out.

The whole room fell silent at her outburst. She was suddenly ashamed but she didn't like his brother looking like hell.

"Shut up, Mary! You don't know what you're talking about. There are a lot of things in our hands without you losing it. Now, seat down and finish your drink," replied Steve.

He exhaled and walked towards his sister who sat in a corner near Danny's desk and engulfed her in a big hug, and in a nicer but more hopeful tone he said before kissing her on the cheek, "Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine and then I'll take you to that nice long vacation you always wanted in Galapagos."

"Will we take your girlfriend with us?" she insisted.

Steve smiled sheepishly at his sister. She could really make him smile when things go rough.

"Yes. I'll find her and we'll take her with us."

Joe White suddenly arrived and purposefully approached Steve with the Commissioner, Gov. Denning, and Fryer's boss Gen. Wade.

"We're glad you've recovered the key. May we have it now?" requested Joe.

Steve stood before them in all his 6 feet 2 inches height and replied firmly.

"I'll give it to you, Joe. But not a minute before I find Kono. The key may be the only way to get her back safe."

The other officials were furious. "That key belongs to the state. You have no right to keep it."

"The hell I have no right. My life was endangered by this key, and now my agent is in danger and I'm going to use it to save her even if it means I'll be sent to court marshal."

"I can put you to prison in an instant," said the commissioner.

"I've got news for you, commissioner, you already have and I'm not scared to go back," he replied sternly.

"Perhaps if you convince Wo-Fat that despite the tattoo on Agent Kalakaua's back, she is not the McGarrett Woman. You don't need the key," suggested Gen. Wade.

"There is no reasoning with Wo-Fat. It's an eye for an eye and I want to hold the ace in this fight, and none of you can do anything about it," said Steve

"Please. No need for us to lose our temper. Steve's father was a big help to our government and Steve himself is a respected officer. I understand where he is coming from. Perhaps we could buy him sometime…I'm sure he'll surrender the key," explained Joe White.

"I have no intention to get the diamonds for myself. I'll give you the key. I just want Agent Kalakaua saved first," he said in a more diplomatic tone.

"Very well, three days," said the commissioner.

Steve nodded to acknowledge his thanks but replied solemnly, "I'm afraid we don't even have three days…"

* * *

Kono was slowly regaining consciousness, the throbbing pain in her head and her aching limbs were beginning to sink in. Her head felt so heavy she couldn't bring herself to lift it up. She couldn't remember this kind of throbbing pain in her head except during the time one of her schoolmates spiked the student punch on promo night.

She was a junior then, and everyone at the prom began singing to "Hello Dolly" and dancing like CanCan dancers around the gym and the next day she was so blasted she couldn't get out of bed. For a moment she thought she was 18 again and blasted from the spiked punch but her aching limbs and bruised wrists reminded her she was standing up, her two hands chained apart from heavy chains hanging from the ceiling, her dead weight leaning on them.

She thought of straightening up to relieve the strain for her wrists until she felt warm breath on the side of her cheeks, it was so close she could feel them on her neck, her ear, and her face. She felt a strong hand caressing her bare back until it reached the waistband of her khaki shorts, and she realized she was relieved of her white shirt except for her brassiere. She felt like crying as she remembered the sight of Wo-Fat's triumphant smile and Chin and Danny's horrified expression before she lost consciousness.

She must not show any indication that she was awake. Who knows what Wo-Fat might subject her to. She could feel him so near, his fingers suddenly tracing her jawline and the contours of her face. She almost kneed his groin to keep his hands to himself but she resisted the temptation as she remembered the thick, heavy chains binding her. If she kicks him, what then? She'd be defenseless afterwards. It would be wise to feign unconsciousness… but for how long? Wo-Fat was not an idiot, it would not take long for him to realize she was awake. She prayed he wouldn't attempt to relieve her any more of her clothing.

But her resolve to feign unconsciousness was short-lived when suddenly she felt his lips touch her neck. Panic shot through her and with all her might she kicked his shins and swung herself to deliver a flying kick to his chest. He staggered backwards but caught his balance. Her successful attempt to defend herself made Wo-Fat smile. Her kicks left him unperturbed.

"I can see you still have your spirits, Kono," he laughed in amusement before slowly approaching her and capturing her face in his hand.

"But you ought to know by now, your struggles are useless. I can kill you in a snap," he warned.

"I don't care if you kill me. Just keep your hands off me," she yelled.

She braced herself as she saw the rage in Wo-Fat's eyes. She didn't care. She'll fight him to death but their confrontation was interrupted with loud bang of the door.

Kono gasped. It was a familiar face. Suddenly she felt hope surged within her at the thought of being rescued.

"General!" she exclaimed. "Please help me," she cried.

"Damn! McGarrett didn't want to hand me the damn key! I have to get those diamonds before the government does," vented the general.

"Perhaps, you weren't persuasive enough, general," said Wo-Fat.

Kono felt all her hope crushing down as she realized that Wo-Fat and Gen. Wade were in it together. Instead of breaking down, she felt all her anger rising up.

"I can't believe this! How could you, General? We all looked up to you. You give officers a bad name. You're a disgrace to your uniform!" she spat.

He tried to hit her but Wo-Fat was quick enough to catch his blow before it could touch Kono's face.

"Don't try that again," warned Wo-Fat.

The general was stunned by his words but chose to ignore it.

"McGarrett wanted the woman. He said he'll give-up the key after he gets her back," said the general.

Wo-Fat smiled diabolically. "Then you must find another way to get us the key because I'm not giving her back."

"What do you mean? You can't kill her…not until we get the key," protested the general.

Wo-Fat smirked. "I don't intend to kill her…but I intend to kill you."

And with those words, before General Wade could react, Wo-Fat shot him on the stomach. General Wade fell back on the floor.

"I'll send them a video of the bleeding 4 star general, my hostage. And there's no way they won't hand me the key. And when I get the key… good bye general."

The general clutched his stomach in pain. Kono felt sorry for him despite his wrong doings and treachery to the government.

Wo-Fat laughed diabolically. "At least you will die with your dignity, general. They would never know your treachery."

He slowly walked back to face Kono, his dark eyes glinting with malevolence and lust, facing her, he touched her face, slowly drawing it closer to his, "And you my dear will come with me to the ends of the earth after I get the pink diamonds…"

Before Kono could react and attempt to kick him once more, a single shot rang through the air and Wo-Fat suddenly slumped on his knees to the floor.

"Not if I can help it…" uttered Steve.

Relief surged through Kono as Steve rushed to her. She was finally safe. Steve took off his shirt and draped it around Kono's back as he covered her with his embrace. Both were silent for a moment overwhelmed with emotion until Chin came to them with a key to unlock Kono's shackles.

As soon as Kono's hands were free. Steve slipped his shirt on her and cupped her face in his hands to pepper her with little kisses before engulfing her in another tight embrace.

"Thank you," Kono managed to whisper.

Both were lost on their own world, oblivious to the chaos around them as the police exchange fires with Wo-Fat's men. When all their enemies have been defeated, Chin approached the pair.

"Are you alright, Kono?" he asked with concern.

Kono managed a smile. "I am now."

With his arms around Kono, Steve approached Captain Fryer.

"Just as I have promised, here's the key," he said giving it to him.

"How'd you know where to find me?" asked Kono.

Steve smiled in amusement. "General Wade spoke of the tattoo on your back. Nobody could have known about that except us because you only got it from the kids the other day…unless he saw you just recently. Then he must be in it with Wo-Fat. I had my suspicions and I followed him. Danny and Chin thought I might need assistance and called Fryer and his men."

As they neared the car, Mary ran towards them to give them a big hug.

"I stayed in the car just as you told me, Steve," she said proudly.

"Very good," he smiled.

"Now, can we have our Galapagos Cruise?" she asked earnestly.

"of course," he replied.

"Can your girlfriend come too?" teased Mary.

Steve grinned from ear to ear as he looked at Kono. Kono blushed, unable to meet Steve's eyes.

"She'd better," he uttered somewhat hopefully.

Kono finally met his gaze and returned his smile. "I'd love to."


End file.
